


The Best Laid Plans

by chai_and_coffee



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alternate Universe, Angst, Battle, F/M, Fluff, Major Character Injury, Major character death - Freeform, Mentions of War, Pining, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Romance, Scars, Waitress AU, angst with happy ending, shallura - Freeform, single mother, slowburn
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-20
Updated: 2018-07-01
Packaged: 2019-05-25 19:37:42
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 15
Words: 18,449
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14984135
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/chai_and_coffee/pseuds/chai_and_coffee
Summary: Takashi Shirogane has nothing to live for anymore. His routine is simple. He wakes up. Exercises. Showers. Eats. Goes to work. Comes home. Tries to sleep. Suffers through nightmares. Sleeps. Repeat.A certain waitress and her son might have different ideas, though.Allura and Lance spring into this man's life, hand in hand, muddying the waters and messing up the clear view he once had.Takashi isn't really sure he minds, though.





	1. one

Takashi Shirogane’s hand was already reaching out to silence the alarm clock before it even had began ringing. His eyes were already open, and the rest of his body followed pursuit in rigidity. As usual, he gave himself five minutes to return to the living. He no longer needed the five minutes, seeing how he was already awake well before the time he needed to get up, but it was a habit too hard to break. 

 

Shower consisted of a five minute cold-water shower. Get in, get out. Another habit that was hard to shake off, thanks to the military. He didn’t mind it. It kept his bills low. Breakfast, if he chose to eat, was an apple. Within another five minutes, with quick, meticulous bites, it was eaten neatly all they way to the core, then disposed of neatly in the garbage. 

 

Wash his hands, check his uniform, and he’s off.

 

It’s a short walk to the firm he works at.He’s stationed at the door, standing stiffly.He did background research on this firm, and he knows the ins and outs like the back of his hand. He works as a security guard there, and it’s a boring, mindless job. Nothing like what he used to do. But he doesn’t mind it, it gives him something to focus on. 

 

People expect him to be friendly. They shoot him tentative smiles that immediately fade away after they see his face. Those same smiles fade when they see the cool metallic black that takes the spot of his left arm. 

 

Today, is much of the same. A lady who’s wearing too much pink walks in, shooting a sunny smile at everyone. She’s too bright and it makes him suspicious, but his thoughts are soon diverted when he sees a little boy running up to him.

 

The little boy seems to think Shiro is his friend and prattles on and on about some show he watched earlier in the day, until the mother realizes that her kid is being a nuisance. 

 

“I’m so sorry, Thomas just likes to get carried away-“ The mother tries for a smile, but it comes out weak as she looks up at the stony faced security guard. Her eyes flicker to his hand, and she’s quickly tugging away little Thomas, who seems to be blissfully unaware of what just happened.

 

Shiro knows he should feel some shame, some remorse, but it doesn’t come to him. Emotions rarely do. He doesn’t feel sorry. He knows he used to be very, very good with kids, but that died when his little brother died. 

 

The rest of the day crawled by slowly. He waited, around seven for Parker to clock in. No Parker.His foot tapped impatiently, waiting for the second security guard to clock in. He could almost hear his General yelling at him, ‘ _Stop that foot tapping, Shirogane!_ ’, and he did. His back immediately straightened and he ceased the tapping. 

 

A ping distracts him from his thoughts, and he looks down at his phone. It’s Parker, calling in sick.

 

This means that Shiro has to work until midnight, and while any other person would have complained, he doesn’t. 

 

Although it sets him off from the regular course of his day, it give him an excuse to hide from sleep, where despair and haunted screams are sure to reverberate in his mind.

 

Midnight comes soon enough, and the third security guard gives Shiro a nod as the two switch position. 

 

He is now enveloped by the night air, and he knows for certain that he doesn’t want to go home.

 

He makes his way down the sidewalk, his composure scaring away the few that are on the streets at this time. A car passes by occasionally, and it hints that he’s left the comfort and security of the central business district, and is passing into the rougher areas of town. This knowledge doesn’t deter him at all, however. He’s comfortable with dangerous situations, he once thrived in them. 

 

He ducks into a diner, ‘Ray’s’, as it’s called, and he doesn’t seem to mind that the y in ‘Ray’s’ is no longer illuminated by neon, or that the building itself has a rough exterior.

 

He slides into a booth and clasps his hands neatly on his lap waiting.

 

“Be right with you!” The waitress calls out from somewhere in the back, and he realizes that his entrance had been signified by the bell near the door, something that he had completely failed to take into account. That thought made him uncomfortable. In his training as a Navy SEAL, they had taught him to be aware of his surroundings at all times. It made him feel as though he was losing his training, his roots.

 

He shrugged it off, perhaps he had heard it, but simply didn’t act upon it. Yes, that would be a plausible explanation. 

 

“Lance, honey! I know that tomorrow is a weekend, but I need you to finish off your work, and—“ Comes the feminine voice.

 

Shiro looks over to see the waitress, practically chasing a little boy. There’s little to no resemblance between them, he notes. The streak of sandy hair halts to a stop next to Shiro, looking up at him with wide eyes.Without even asking, the boy slides into the booth, right next to Shiro, and sets his paper down on the table. The paper is filled with all sorts of math problems, very easy. He estimates that this kid is in third or fourth grade. 

 

“Lance, what are you doing?” pants the waitress, coming to a stop right at Shiro’s booth. Aside from shooting him an apologetic smile, she doesn’t say anything to him, her attention focused on the little one in front of her.

 

“I’m going to sit here and do my homework, mama.” Comes the innocent voice, one that rang fake and cheesy to Shiro’s ears.

 

He turned and looked at the waitress, her name-tag reading ‘Allura’, waiting for her to call her son out on his apparent lie, but she never did. She simply smiled and ruffled the kid’s hair, who dutifully touched his pencil to his paper.

 

The waitress’ attention came back to him.

 

“Hi, sir. My name’s Allura. That’s my son Lance, if he’s making you uncomfortable, just ask me, I can take him to the back. What can I get for you?” She asked with warmth that made Shiro pause for a moment. Why was she talking so warmly to him? 

 

“Just coffee.” He answers. 

 

She nods and spins off, presumably to go and get his coffee.

 

A poking startles him, and he looks down at the little kid, who’s finished all but two of the problems.

 

“Hey, mister. I’m Lance. What’s your name?” He asks, and Shiro has to resist from breaking down right then and there.His voice, his composure, that little lilt at the end reminds him so much of his Keith.

 

Keith, Keith, Keith, who’s no longer there. 

 

“Shiro.” He hears himself saying, and is surprised when the kid doesn’t flinch at the hardness in his voice. 

 

“Hi, Mister Shiro. Can you help me with these two?” He asks, and his bottom lip juts out slightly as he glares at the numbers.“I’m not very good at math.” 

 

The kid’s mom is back, and she’s pouring Shiro’s coffee, but watching out of the corner of her eye.

 

Shiro gently takes the hand holding the pencil. How long had it been since he had done something like this, helped a kid with his homework?“Watch.” He says, gently guiding Lance’s hand through the steps, how to isolate the variable and solve it.“I get it!” Lance says brightly.

 

“Now, do the other one.” comes the quiet instruction.

 

Shiro has to admit, Lance is a pretty quick learner, and immediately jumps on the second problem, looking over to Shiro for reassurance that he’s doing the problem right. He’s rewarded with a nod.

 

“Thank you!” The kid says, handing the sheet of paper over to his mother, who sets the coffee down in front of Shiro, and murmurs her own thank you to Shiro. He nods to both, not saying anything more. 

 

As the waitress goes off once more to file the paper away neatly, the kid turns to Shiro.

 

Lance stares at Shiro, the older man not really like being scrutinized, but not saying anything.After a few moments, the kid asks a quiet question, one that he wasn’t really prepared for. He was expecting questions about his arm, about the scar over his nose, but not this.

 

“Why are you so sad?” Comes the question, and damn, this kid is too perceptive. Shiro can see the waitress perk up from where she’s situated, and knows that she’s listening, but doesn’t interfere.

 

“I’m not sad.” Shiro responds stiffly.

 

“Yes, you are. You’re doing—that thingy. Where you pretend that you’re super strong, but you’re sad. Why are you sad? I won’t tell anyone. I pinky promise.”

 

Shiro can see the edges of the waitress’ lips curl up in a smile, and just to honor her son, he sees that she slips out to the back.

 

He looks down at the upturned, expectant face, one so pure and light and without burden, and for some reason, is compelled to tell him.

“I lost someone. Very close to me.”

 

“Can I hug you?”

 

“Why?”

 

“When Mom sometimes thinks that things are too rough on me, she just hugs me close and it makes me feel like she will never let go.”

 

“I don’t like hugs.” Shiro says, and he almost feels guilty at the expression that falls.

 

Lance is not one to be deterred, and he scrambles up to stand on the booth, and reaches out to ruffle Shiro’s hair. 

 

When the kid sinks down, Shiro resists the urge to rearrange his hair again, and instead asks him, “What was that for?”

 

“Sometimes I don’t like hugs too. Mom does that to me when I’m sad.” He says.

 

Shiro sighs, an inhale and an exhale.

 

Grudgingly, he reaches over and ruffles the sandy hair.

 

He’s leaving after paying for his coffee a few minutes later, and when he finally gets home, all he can think about is his ruined schedule. 


	2. two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> interactions between shiro and allura
> 
> plus an altercation ;)
> 
> BE WARNED: There are suggestive themes, unwanted advances, and catcalling

Things get a little wild when it’s this late at night and you’re so far away from the city.

 

Takashi Shirogane still didn’t know what the hell he was doing in this diner, sitting in his booth (now his, since he claimed it for the second time), but with his coffee in his hands, he could rest easy, knowing that he wasn’t part of the limelight.

 

The second he had walked in through that door, Allura had been surprised to see him.She had given him a tired smile that had highlighted the dark circles under her eyes, and jerked her thumb to the back room.“Lance is sleeping tonight. He had a long day. What can I get for you?” She asks.

 

He wants to tell her that he didn’t ask about the kid, that it hadn’t even crossed his mind, but somehow he couldn’t formulate the scathing remark.“Just my coffee.” He responds.

 

She’s behind the counter, half of his coffee already drank, and she appears to be looking at a textbook and studiously taking notes. He’s too far to see what it really is, but he notes that she’s completely immersed.Which is a good thing, of course, she isn’t able to see how his eyes stray over to her. Not by any means of his accord, just the fact that he’s intrigued.

 

Both Shiro and Allura look up when a group of people walk in, their entrances noisier than the bell that celebrates their coming. 

 

They’re sitting immediately next to her, on the barstools that line up the counter, and Shiro feels slightly uncomfortable. Not for them, for the waitress. They seem to be a little too close for his liking. He wisely doesn’t comment, but watches from his vantage point. 

 

She takes down their orders dutifully, and relays it to the cook, and bends over the counter to slightly hunch over her textbook and her notebook. 

 

Shiro notices that the guys of the group are leaning over, checking out her figure. He’s about to say something when a sharp smell reaches his senses. Alcohol. This loud group just got a bit more difficult to handle. 

 

“Hey, sweetness.” One croons, and Shiro’s eyes narrow.

 

“Hey, baby. Baby—“ They call out to Allura, laughing when she ignores them, but their calls get louder and louder. Shiro sees her cast an anxious look towards the back, and he understands that she’s worried about her sleeping son.

 

He has an interesting dilemma between himself. One part of him wants to stay under the radar, stay in the inconspicuous shell of being an observer. It’s his comfort zone, it’s what he has conformed himself into doing. Another part of him wants to intervene, for some reason. He’s not sure it’s his place to, so he stays where he is, mute, watching, and clutching that cup with coffee that’s gone cold.

 

Their calls are momentarily interrupted by the arrival of their food, and he can see the visible evidence of Allura relaxing as the drunks’ mouths are filled with food. 

 

Their hands aren’t, though. Shiro sees a hand dart out and run along her collarbone, but it’s gone too fast before she can slap it away.The fact that the hand was too fast brings a certain amount of joy to the group.

 

It’s sickening to watch. It’s like they’re playing with her, and what irritates Shiro the most is the fact that Allura refuses to do anything. She simply looks back down at her book, reading. 

 

Shiro silently sighed a breath of relief when the drunkard group finally finished their food, it seemed like hours of watching them poke and tease Allura. They paid, and the group shuffled around, loitering by the door, except one man. 

 

That one man was leaning next to Allura, and his voice was too hushed for Shiro to hear what was going on. Allura’s response was quieter, but it was obvious that the man didn’t take her seriously.

 

Things started to escalate. His hands were now planted firmly on her waist, and as soon as she pushed them away, his hands found her shoulders. He seemed to be asking for something, and as Shiro stood up, it was clear that the man was asking for her number.

 

Allura, for all her credit, kept refusing in a quiet voice, still calling the man ‘sir’, and gently pushing away. 

 

When Shiro finally reached the man, all it took was him grabbing the other’s collar and yanking him away. 

 

“It’s best you leave.” said Shiro coldly, and the group scurried out of the diner, with only the lingering smell of booze to serve as a reminder of their presence. 

 

He turned around, his gaze finding hers. She didn’t look upset, but grateful. A smile was still on her lips, despite what had just occurred. 

 

“Thank you,” She murmured. 

 

He didn’t even nod in acknowledgement, just turned his piercing gaze. “You need to learn to fight back, to shove him off. You can’t just let people walk over you.” That was the problem, he decided, with this waitress. Her bright attitude, her demeanor was a beacon for terrible people, for them to take advantage of her. 

 

As quickly as warmth filled the depths of her blue eyes, they suddenly turned icy.She began gathering up her books quietly, stacking them one by one as she spoke. “That is not how it works here. If I fight back, I lose my job. I don’t have the comfort and security to lose my job so easily, Mister Shiro. I don’t care if this is what I have to endure all day, I will do it. You are not in a position to judge. I would prefer it if you didn’t.” She murmured in a quiet tone as she scooped up the books and balanced them on her hip. 

 

She quickly went to the back, balanced a sleeping Lance on her other hip, said goodbye to the cook, and left him standing there. 

 

He tossed a bill onto the counter, fifteen minutes later, before walking out himself. Her words surrounded him on the lonely walk alone.

 

It was how she said it. It had none of the venom that had filled her expression, no hate, no anger. Just a quiet and honest reminder, that proved more effective than any spite filled statement. It truly cut him.

 

It dawned on him, when he was already in his bed, that her words were of a mother struggling to make ends meet. The sense of duty in her was apparent, it shone through her careful words. He couldn’t shake the mental image of her burdened by books and a sleeping child, and walking alone into the night.

 

His final thought for the night was that he had hurt her. He had insinuated that she wasn’t capable of fighting back, that he knew what was better for her, and a pang of shame filled him as he realized that he was no different than the drunk. He had hurt her, and he never intended to do so.

 

As his eyes closed, the thoughts of the waitress lulled him into sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> leave a comment on what you thought! 
> 
> follow me on tumblr @chai-and-coffee!


	3. three

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> apologies and invitations

Shiro was a bit hesitant to go to the diner next time. His shift ended at seven, and while he let Parker take up the next shift, a part of him wanted to continue working.He wasn’t quite sure he would be as warmly welcomed as the times before, because of his previous words. 

 

He decided to try his luck anyways. As much as he was nervous, (no, he wasn’t scared!) of seeing the stern waitress and her kid again, it was better to face their wrath rather than go back to his desolate home. Hm. That thought made him pause. Although Shiro’s distaste in sleeping was apparent, he had never lumped together his entire living situation in the mix. But in a way that was foreign to him, it struck true. 

 

They wouldn’t be there. Shiro knew that Allura worked late shifts, and he deduced that she was in school, of sorts, seeing how she had been studying the night before. Lance seemed like a happy kid, going to school. 

 

He wasn’t quite sure why the two were on his mind, but he supposed it was the fact of human interaction. It had been a long time since someone spoke to him without their eyes lingering on his arm, or even the bridge of his nose. It was a long time since no one was scared of the coldness he was shrouded in. 

 

But to his surprise, as he walked inside, his attention was caught by a familiar pair of sparkling eyes, warm colored skin, and lips that formed into a smile when she saw him. Why was she smiling? Wasn’t she supposed to be upset at him? 

 

“Hey, you’re here early. Usual?” She asks, and all he can manage is a mute nod as he slides into his booth.

 

Within moments, her energetic kid sprints out, and onto Shiro’s lap. Lance is chattering away, talking about something that happened on the playground at school, and Shiro nods in all the right places of the stories. When the talkative kid finally pauses to take a breath, Shiro gets his word in.“No homework?”

 

Lance shook his head. “Nope! All done, I was waiting for you!”

 

That statement surprises him, and he looks up to see Allura sitting opposite from him. She doesn’t look up from her work, and it appears as though she’s calculating. She’s probably running the books for the restaurant.

 

He makes a mental note to apologize to her, he can’t forget, until he’s jolted out of his thoughts by a Lance, who’s waiting for him to respond. 

 

 

Three hours later, Allura yawned, her back stretching. She looked up to see Lance curled up and asleep on Shiro. The man doesn’t seem to look uncomfortable, but she could never tell with that stone face. She finds it cute, and pulls out a phone (an incredibly old phone, Shiro noted), and took a picture of the two. She giggles at the view of Lance being nestled into this buff guy’s chest, and said guy cradling the child gently.

 

“I’m sorry, I wasn’t paying attention.I should get going—actually, I never got your name. I’m Allura Altea.” She murmured, her eyes light as she extended a hand out to the man.

 

He makes sure that Lance is okay without the one arm as support before extending his hand out to her. “Takashi Shirogane. You may call me Shiro.”

 

Allura’s eyes glimmer at the odd phrasing, but luckily, she doesn’t call him out on it. As she retracts her hand and begins to gather up the paperwork neatly, she says, “Nice to meet you.”

 

Before she can stand up and his opportunity slips away, Shiro has to act now.“I’m sorry. For yesterday. I should have been more careful with my words.” He watches her as she hands the paperwork to the cook passing by, and turns to him to give him her full attention. But that’s as far as his apology goes. Feelings and empathy are no longer his strong points. 

 

Her expression curves into a sympathetic one, and he wants to twitch uncomfortably under that gaze. He hated pity, anything akin to it. He got it a lot after Keith, and after his accidents, though he didn’t understand why this waitress was giving him that look now.

 

“Don’t be silly.” She said as she stood up.“You were right, and you didn’t know. There’s no reason to apologize.” She reassured him, and gestures out to Lance. “I’ve got to get going. It’s ten, and I don’t really want to keep him from a bed any longer.” 

 

Shiro stood up as well, the boy still in his arms, still asleep, and he hesitated.

 

“Can I..walk you home?” He asked, a bit uncertainly. “I don’t think it’s good for you to be walking outside this late at night. Just to walk you home.” He rushes to add, and a feeling of being flustered rises up in him.

 

Allura hesitated for a moment, taking into account his invitation. 

 

“That sounds good.” She finally agrees, and Shiro lets out a breath that he didn’t even know he had been holding. 

 

The two make it outside (Lance included), and Allura’s slightly in awe that Lance trusts this stranger so much. It’s clear that Shiro doesn’t mind anymore, seeing how the little boy has his arms around the man’s neck, his face buried into his shirt, and slight drips of drool slipping from his mouth, but Shiro doesn’t seem to mind at all. 

 

“Can I take Lance from you? He’s quite heavy.” She tries, but he shoots her a look that makes her content with holding her ratty handbag. 

 

The walk is a bit far, and Shiro found himself wondering how she managed it every single night. Dimly lit lampposts illuminate the way, but it isn’t much for them to see. 

 

Somewhere along the halfway mark of the journey, he halts them, and hands her Lance. He quickly slips off his coat and hangs it over her shoulders.“It’s cold.” He said gruffly at her look of surprise, there was no need to be surprised.“Lance has a coat. You don’t.”

 

That effectively ends the conversation as he takes back the little boy. Shiro’s hand finds its way to the small of her back, and they continue walking in silence. 

 

They only stop when they’re at the door to an apartment, so far away from the center of the city. Allura took a minute to slide the rusted key in, and after many moments of jiggling it, the door finally opens. 

 

Shiro made a motion to hand over Lance, but instead, Allura stepped over and swung the door open wider.

 

“Would you like to come in?” She asked.

 

“I would.” Came the swift response as Shiro ducked inside, making sure that Lance’s head didn’t hit the doorframe.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> please leave a comment, let me know what you thought! 
> 
> catch me on tumblr @chai-and-coffee


	4. four

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> allura + lance backstory! 
> 
> feelings stirring up!

The first thing he noted was the fact that the apartment was small. It was the type of small where he could lean into the kitchen from the living room, the type of apartment that books talked about. 

 

He felt a flash of guilt, and knew it wouldn’t be welcomed. Allura smiled at him as she beckoned him down what seemed like a hallway, and led him to a room which he supposed was the master bedroom. “You can set Lance down here.” She said to him, and Shiro complied. He set Lance down, and stepped back, watching as Allura tucked him in, and pressed a kiss to her son’s forehead. Shiro didn’t quite know what compelled him, but he reached out and gently ruffled the child’s hair. 

 

The two adults closed the door behind them and made their way to the living room. The couch was barely enough, but they managed to sit side by side. Shiro noticed that Allura’s shoulders were tense as she looked around, and her hands were clasped in her lap formally. 

 

“Can I get you anything?” She asked, and he shook his head. That felt like—stealing.

 

She read his expression almost automatically and laughed. “Yes, that’s the look I get. There’s no need to pity us. We’re doing quite fine.” She reminded him, and he shook his head quickly.

 

“That’s—that’s not what I meant. I was—just wondering how you and Lance got here.” The words came out wrong, but Allura didn’t seem to mind. 

 

She sighed and settled back onto the couch, pulling her legs up. “I was in college. Studying to be a medical student. I was the daughter of Alfor Altea—you might know him. He’s the CEO of a huge industrial corporation. I was…well off.Anything I asked for, my father gave it to me. I saw little of him, but that really didn’t matter, I was preoccupied with my career.”She began.

 

Shiro kept one foot flat on the floor and raised the other one up, his arms folding behind her head. “Keep going.” He said gruffly, letting her know that even though he was closing his eyes, he was still listening. He winced slightly, he wished he didn’t sound so militaristic sometimes. But that wasn’t the main issue right now. 

 

“I volunteered at the hospital whenever I could. I was convinced that it would make me a better doctor, that spending quality time with people would make me a better person. So I worked there, chatting with patients, helping out nurses, every single Friday.One Friday, this woman ran up to me. She had a hood pulled over her head, her face shadowed. She begged me to help her, and when I turned, she shoved a bundle into my hands and ran off. They weren’t able to find the woman, and I suddenly had a baby in my hands.” She said, a soft smile appearing on her features.

 

“As per state’s law, the mother is able to relinquish her child to a ward of the hospital and leave without being persecuted, and whoever is handed that baby, is now the guardian. I had two options. I could have given the baby up to the state, for the baby to be raised in foster care, or I could choose to raise it as my own.” She continued.

 

“There was something about this little boy that made me not want to do that. He was adorable. Five minutes in, the little one was holding my finger tightly, and I knew that I couldn’t bear to let go. My father wasn’t pleased. When he found out that I intended on keeping the baby, he was livid at what this would do to his reputation. He begged me to give it up, but when I refused, he disowned me. Cut me off. I soon was unable to pay tuition for the college, was unable to pay rent for my apartment, so I had to drop out and leave. I took Lance and whatever money I had left, bought an apartment. I secured a simple job, but I know that this isn’t the life that my son deserves. I’m trying to finish off my degree, so that I can get a new job. Something where I can provide for my son.” She finished. 

 

Shiro opened his eyes, and their eyes met in the darkness of the room. Neither of them had bothered to turn on a light, but that didn’t matter to either of them. Shiro could very clearly see the sparkle of tears illuminated by the light in the window. 

 

His hand robotically came up, and gently swiped away her tears. The only reminder of their presence was her occasional sniffling.

 

“You’re doing wonderfully.” He said, simply, but there were nuances of admiration laced within the words, emotions that surprised both of them.

 

He was a bit shocked when she didn’t respond with anything bright or positive as she usually did, just leaned over and rested her head on his shoulder. He supposed that it had been a long time that anyone had reassured her that she was doing the best she could. His heart felt warm, something it hadn’t been for a long time, and it was for this little family. Allura reminded him of himself, when he had been as protective over someone else.

 

What shocked them more was the fact that Shiro’s arm winded around her shoulders, pulling her in closer. This was nice. It was simple contact. Nothing more, nothing less. She seemed less of a stranger to him now. Maybe…friends. 

 

The word seemed foreign to him. All of his so-called friends had deserted him when he had hit rock bottom and he no longer kept in contact. 

 

But yes, he supposed he could call the waitress and her son that word. Friends. It seemed odd on his tongue, but filled him with that same warm feeling. 

 

Soft snores from Allura indicated that the woman was sleeping, and he leaned back and closed his eyes as well. 

 

For once, he didn’t fear sleep.


	5. five

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> night terrors
> 
> WARNING: uh some blaming, sounds, essentially nightmare stuff

Shiro woke up to someone on top of him. It wasn’t the sparring kind, like the I’m-going-to-kill-you kind, but a soft warmth. The person was breathing quietly and slowly, their body curled into his. 

 

He blinked his eyes open and saw Allura resting on his chest, his arms circling her and pulling her closer. She seemed much like a cat, the sunlight filtering through the windows and coating her in a soft glow. She was practically curled up on him, but what surprised him more was the intensity at which he had been holding her to his chest. 

 

He supposed that sometime in the night, he had stretched out on the couch and pulled her down with him. He wasn’t really sure how he felt about that, but he was here now.

 

He watched her curiously for a few minutes. Her ear was pressed to his chest, and her hands held onto his shirt—nothing too much—only a weak grip. It seemed that she was in a peaceful enough sleep, her breathing slow and steady. 

 

Already this waitress was so comfortable with him—but something about this felt off. It made him feel warm, that set him on edge. He wasn’t quite sure he liked that feeling. All of a sudden it enclosed on him, making him feel trapped—and all he knew was that he had to get out of here. He had to leave. He was getting too close, and he knew that he was a timebomb. Everyone close to him got hurt, and he knew that couldn’t happen.

 

He didn’t care for this waitress and her son. They were just…lowly civilians. They held no matter of importance in his life. He had a mission to worry about, a job to focus on, a schedule to adhere to.

 

These civilians were disrupting his schedule, so he must remove them out of the equation.It wasn’t out of his own accord, but he practically had to force himself to think militaristically. It made him concentrate, feel more in control of his surroundings and situations.

 

Shiro slipped out from under Allura, and considered leaving right then and there. Something made him take the blanket resting on an armrest and drape it over her, his actions showing the softness that wasn’t found in his expression. His hand reached out and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, and she made a soft noise. 

 

Shiro made his way to the master bedroom, and ruffled Lance’s hair. One last time.

 

This was the last he would see these two. 

 

~

 

The next five days were excruciating. He hadn’t anticipated that it would be that hard to break away from two people he had known for a matter of days. He worked, sure, and that provided his mind enough solace to keep him occupied for the short amount of time that he worked. 

 

It seemed they had imprinted on him, because everywhere he went, he was reminded of them. He could no longer go back to that diner to spend nights. He had made a promise to cut them off from his destructiveness. Plus, they were interfering with his emotional range. 

 

It wasn’t easy. He tried to walk around town after his shift, trying to keep himself occupied instead of giving into temptation and heading to the diner, but he would look in a shop’s window, and think that Lance would like this or that toy. He would see smiles in the faces of those who passed him, and it would strangely remind him of a certain waitress.

 

It was like he could never escape them. He saw medical journals and thought of her, saw kids walking with their parents and thought about the two. 

 

He missed them. Almost as much ashe missed Keith.

 

He started asking Parker for his shifts, but the other man continually denied him.

 

“You need to go home and get some rest, Shiro. Have you been sleeping? What’s with the unshaven look? Are you ill?” Came the questions from his co-worker, questions that were never answered.

 

Shiro looked…dead. There were dark circles under his eyes, but those were there before. What was striking about them was the fact that they looked bigger than before.He was suffering, both mentally and physically. He hadn’t eaten a full meal in a while. He could hear their voices—when they weren’t there. 

 

Eventually, he knew that his body would give up. At the end of the fifth day, the defeated man made his way back to his barren apartment. It was the only place where there were no reminders of them, yet it couldn’t serve as a haven for him.

 

His eyes closed as soon as he lowered his body onto his bed, and he took a few moments to adjust the pillow and blankets to his liking before falling asleep. 

 

Light snores slipped out of his mouth as he spiraled into unconsciousness.

 

This time, Keith’s anguished wails were joined by Allura’s screaming and Lance’s pleading.

 

“Please, please, please-“ The sandy haired kid begged in his dreams, and he couldn’t do anything. It was like he was frozen. What was Lance talking about? Why was he begging—what was he asking for?

 

He couldn’t see Allura, but the sounds of her screams echoed in his ears, making him drop to the ground. His heart wrenched as the sounds became more guttural. The screams stopped, and he knew that she was dead. She was dead. Sounds alerted him, pulling him out of his misery. Shoes stopped in front of him, and it took all his willpower to force his head up and look at them. His eyes were hollow, dead, tortured at what he just had heard. Yet, because he was a glutton for punishment, he awaited what tortures his mind would concoct for him.

 

This time, it was Keith. Seeing his brother’s mutilated face, those eyes, once warm and young, now glittering and hateful, made Shiro’s heart break even more. 

 

“You failed them.” Came the stern response from his little brother. “Just like you failed me.”

 

And just like a light switch, the brilliant, strong solider was reduced to tears.

 

The tears stayed with him when he woke up, and he sobbed until he could no longer.

 

Even as the sun’s rays indicated the cheerful presence of morning, Takashi Shirogane was haunted by the screams of those he had lost.

 

He had no one to blame but himself. 


	6. six

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> the confrontation  
> hehe shiro's backstory in the next chapter!

Allura had a feeling. Call it instinct, call it a premonition, but it was there. And when Takashi Shirogane didn’t grace their lives with his presence, she knew that something was off. 

 

She had an odd relationship with the man. He wasn’t exactly easy to read. It was obvious that he cared about her son. Allura wasn’t surprised, Lance had that kind of effect on everyone. It was clear that Shiro wasn’t exactly comfortable around them, yet he stayed, coming to the diner at odd hours. 

 

Sure, she found him handsome. (How could you not? With those steely, steady eyes, and his voice smooth like butter, it was hard not to like him like that.)But there was something about him that she found comforting. It was the reason why, within days of meeting him, she had spilled her entire life story.

 

Yeah…not her proudest moment. But she was grateful for the comfort he gave her afterwards.

 

She woke up to him gone. Sure, she would have liked it if he had stayed, yet she knew that he probably had more pressing things to do than to wake up with her. 

 

There had been a soft smile on her face, this strange man practically rejuvenating her with a type of youth that had been gone for so long.She could practically feel her crush grow as she thought of the way he had held her close.She wanted to thank him for tucking her in. Not everyone had the capacity to care and drape a blanket over her. 

 

She had waited for him, in the diner. Her eyes were trained towards the door, so distracted that Ray cracked jokes about her waiting for her boyfriend. Those jokes were returned with a blush and a stern reminder to get back to work. 

 

He didn’t come that day, and the disappointment of it practically flattened her. 

 

“Where’s Shiro, Momma?” Lance had asked after finishing his homework. She had set a warm cup of cocoa in front of him and shook her head reassuringly. “Mister Shiro probably had work to do today, honey. He’ll be here tomorrow!” She said brightly, and her son took that as a good enough explanation. 

 

That was the same statement she repeated for the next three days to her son, each time her voice getting less and less bright.

 

On the fourth day, Lance had sighed and put his head on the table, not even paying attention to her when she repeated the worn out statement.

 

On the fifth day, Lance hadn’t even asked his usual question. The little boy had simply asked, “He’s not coming back, is he?”

 

Allura’s only response was: “I don’t know.” It broke her heart to say.

 

At first, she was scared and guilty. Was it her that drove Shiro off? Was it the fact that she had slept with him? Ah—not that way, but like, literally sleeping with him? Was that the problem? Had she come off too strong? 

 

She cursed herself for pushing him away.

 

By the fifth day, she was angry. He just—decided to walk away like that? He decided to just…leave them hanging? No note, no explanation?! If he was uncomfortable with her, the least he could have done was tell her son, or even be courteous!

 

But she had no time to dwell on that anger, really. She was more preoccupied with the way Lance seemed down over the past couple of days. She knew it was because he missed Shiro. 

 

On the sixth day, she found herself sitting next to Ray, quietly confiding in him. The owner of the diner was more of a close friend, even a paternal figure to her. She knew that he would give her the best advice.

 

“It’s clear that the two of you miss him, dearie. And I’m not sure why he left, but I know that he’d miss you too.” Ray began, and shot a look at Allura that immediately made her shut up and clamp down on her arising protest. 

 

“I think…” The older man chose his words a bit carefully before speaking again. “I think that you need to be the one who seeks him out this time.” He shot her a wink, and laughed merrily as Allura jumped off the counter and sighed loudly, stalking out of the kitchen. She knew that the man was right.

 

“Lance. How about we go into town today, sweetie? Uncle Ray’s letting me get off early.” She said to her son, and laughed at his immediate delight in the idea.

 

Allura carried Lance up and down the streets of the city, making careful note of the toys that Lance liked. Ray always gave her a bonus during holidays and Lance’s birthday, so she’d need to keep track of everything that caught his eye. 

 

She was walking down the business district, catching Lance’s eye with the tall buildings and reflective windows, when she heard her son gasp.

 

“Shiro?” She heard Lance ask.

 

She turned to see where Lance was looking, and sure enough, there he was. 

 

The older man looked surprised to see them, his eyes widening. 

 

Lance wriggled to be put down, and Allura put him down, her little one tugging her closer to the man who had been absent from their lives. 

 

“Where have you been?” Lance asked.

 

It should have been funny, to see Lance so upset, his arms crossed and his eyes narrow and glaring at the man who was almost three times his size, but what surprised her more was the look of utter relief on the man’s face.

 

“You two are okay…” Shiro breathed, and as Allura picked up Lance again, she realized how terrible he looked. Had he been eating? Sleeping? She knew that she shouldn’t be concerned, but she couldn’t help it. 

 

“Shiro, we’re okay..but what is going on? Did we—did we—do something? Or did you not want to be around us anymore? Why—why did you leave?” Allura asked for the both of them, the hurt and anger and loneliness that had been bubbling up clearly displayed on her features.

 

His gaze seemed lost, almost unfocused as he looked at her, but eventually his eyes focused on mother and son.

 

“It’s a long story.” He said quietly.

 

Allura fixed him with a sharp gaze. “Better start talking.”


	7. seven

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> shiro's backstory!
> 
> WARNING: Uh major flashbacks, character death, breakdowns

It was…different. Allura made a mental note to thank Ray, he was right. Shiro had missed them, and her instincts told her that he strayed for a reason that she couldn’t quite comprehend yet.

 

But it was clear that he wasn’t doing too well. 

 

“First, we need to get you home. Then you can tell us, and then we’ll take it from there.” She told him quietly.

 

“Okay..” was the only response. His prosthetic hand was in hers, his regular hand held in Lance’s, and the two walked the broken man down the street. With his guiding and directions, they were able to get him up to his apartment. 

 

They sat him down on the couch, where he rocked back and forth a bit anxiously, as if working up the nerve to tell them. Allura sank down on the seat across from him, pulling Lance into her lap. She peeked out from over Lance’s head, her eyes wary.

 

He took a few breaths, knowing that for some odd reason, he owed these people an explanation, and began his tale.

 

“I was…a good person, once. I had a little brother named Keith, a good job, and a perfect life..”

 

_“Shiro!” Came the excited voice of Keith, who launched himself into his older brother’s arms. Shiro laughed, holding the little kid closer to him._

 

_“Hey, kiddo!” He greeted, setting him down. He inspected his little brother’s face, and nothing was amiss. That young face was still fresh, full of delight.“Looks like your hair is getting a bit shaggy there, champ. Better take you in for a haircut, just like me! How was school today?”_

 

_The two lived in a world of their own, Shiro revolving around his little brother. They navigated the waters of living together, Keith’s school, and Shiro’s work with the Navy. Luckily, as a SEAL, he had already served the minimum requirement, and he was able to secure a job as an instructor for incoming SEALs, making it that he was stationed in one base. Despite his long hours, he was able to provide a good life for Keith._

 

_Shiro had found himself a guardian when their parents had died on a plane crash, and despite his initial misgivings about the role, he found that he wouldn’t trade it in for the world._

 

_Keith and Shiro had an easy compatibility. Keith was naturally smart, so there were no complaints in the education department. However, he had a lone wolf nature that sometimes got him into trouble. Nothing too serious, but Shiro had been required to give the occasional stern talk._

 

_They did pretty well. Keith was pretty good friends with Shiro’s comrades at the Academy, and was more than content to go to the Navy picnics and mingle._

 

_Keith grew into a teen, and with it came the moodiness. He didn’t give Shiro a rough time, though, but sometimes arguments rose up._

 

“It..had been a long day for me. One of the cadets had purposely sabotaged another, and I was under fire for not having noticed. When I got home, Keith was in one of his moods, and there had been a call from the school. Turns out that Keith got into an altercation with another kid, and the fight had escalated. I would like to say that I had done a good job of disciplining him, but the situation got out of hand. We both yelled things at each other, and it resulted in him walking out for some fresh air.”

 

_Shiro waited. He waited for a long time. Even within the first few minutes, he glanced at the clock. He knew that something was wrong, something was off, but he brushed it off._

 

_‘You’re not my dad! You don’t get to tell me what to do!’ rang in his ears, Keith’s earlier words failing to disappear from his mind.‘You suck at being a parent! You fail, Shiro!’_

 

_He shook his head to clear his thoughts, and took a long drink from the beer he had cracked open. He glanced over at the clock, again and again._

 

_15 minutes._

 

_20 minutes._

 

_30 minutes._

 

_Where was he?_

 

_Shiro sent him a text. Then another. No response. He tried calling Keith, but it kept ringing. No answer._

 

_His worry piqued up, and he stood up abruptly.Something was wrong, he could feel it. He didn’t bother to grab his coat, simply grabbed his keys, his wallet, and set out._

 

_He wasn’t around the apartment complex._

 

_As Shiro walked down the side walk, walking quickly to the nearest convenience store in the hopes that Keith might have gone there, a police car passed him._

 

_Then another._

 

_As the third one passed, he started to run. When he reached the convenient store, it was ablaze. Embers sparked up from the burning building, floating in the dark sky, and the crackle of the fire eating away at the foundations of the store were the only sounds accompanied the frenzied shouting of the men on the scene._

 

_“Male! 30’s! He’s going into cardiac arrest!” Shiro heard, but didn’t do anything. It was like his attention was hyper focused on the tragedy unfolding in front of him, he was simply powerless. He couldn’t do anything. He was frozen, staring at the burning building, because no—it couldn’t be…_

 

_“A young boy! Early—mid teens! Extreme facial scarring—He’s wedged under this cinder block!” Came the shouts, and that spurred Shiro into action. No, Keith.._

 

_Shiro lunged forwards, and helped the firemen who were trying to tug his little brother’s body away from the fire. Shiro didn’t even react when the fire lunged out and licked a fiery stripe across the bridge of his nose, his only focus was Keith._

 

_“My brother-“ He cried, and was immediately forced away by someone, who was trying to reassure him._

 

_“They’ll get him. They’re checking up on him.” The person reassured, but Shiro was fixated on Keith’s mutilated face, the burning of his arms, the angry flesh red._

 

_“No pulse.” He heard, and that was it. He dropped to his knees, struggling towards Keith. He managed to grab his brother’s charred hand, holding it reverently as blinding hot tears flowed down his face._

 

_He let out a wail, his tortured screams filtering into the dangerous ash of the night._

 

_He stayed there, begging Keith to come back, that it wasn’t funny anymore, that he was sorry._

 

_He stayed there, weeping by his dead brother’s side until he passed out._

 

_“_ In the morning, he was gone. His things were still in the apartment. But he was gone. There was nothing left for me. My batchmates didn’t know how to offer me condolence. I was angry, I pushed them away. I pushed everyone away. I still do. I can’t—I can’t fail someone else, I can’t fail ever again.” He said, his head ducked. His shoulders had caved in, like he was burdened with the weight of the world. 

 

When he had finally got the courage to look up, Allura was holding onto Lance tightly, her face partially buried in his hair, and her shoulders shook. Both of them were crying, their eyes red-rimmed.

 

Allura stood up, and set down Lance on one side of Shiro. She sank down on the other side of him, and wrapped her arms around him tightly. He stiffened up, and he felt smaller arms wrap around him too. 

 

“Lance told me you don’t like hugs, but we’re going to hug you. Just for a little bit. Just to keep you from falling apart. It’s okay to cry, to tell us how you’re feeling.” Allura whispered to him.

 

And within the confines of their arms, Shiro fell apart once more, secure in the fact that they’d be around to put his pieces back together. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> please leave comments! tell me what you thought!
> 
> oh, and if you enjoyed, leave a kudos! ;)


	8. eight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> fluff in amends for what i did to you last chapter! ;) 
> 
> we're not out of the clear yet, guys! I promised that shiro would be a problematic fave, so there's still more to come!

His tears ran dry after an hour. He just felt…exhausted, but lighter. It felt good to come clean with Allura and Lance, to tell them his burdens. His initial misgivings about them drifting apart were stupid, in face, both mother and son were determined to hang onto him. 

 

“Lance?” Allura called out his name, startling Shiro out of his reverie.

 

“Yeah, momma?” Came the quiet reply from the child.

 

“I think we have to do the routine.” 

 

The routine? What was that? Some kind of performance? Shiro wasn’t really sure he was into that, wasn’t really sure that he was in the mood for that.He was just…tired, and emotionally strung out. 

 

Before he could voice any of his objections, Lance nodded and pulled away from Shiro.Allura held on for a fraction of a second longer, before pulling away from him and heading to the kitchen.

 

“Where is she going? What’s the routine?” Shiro asked, watching her retreating form, before turning to Lance in confusion. The kid seemed calm, used to it.“You’ll see.” He said, and extended his hand to Shiro. “Come on.”

 

Shiro took the hand and let Lance tug him off the couch, and into the bedroom. He watched tiredly as Lance scrambled onto the bed and arranged the pillows in a fashion that he liked.“No sleeping yet, mister. You have to still sit up.” Lance said as he guided Shiro onto the bed. Once Shiro was in an upright position, with his legs stretched out, Lance draped the blankets over him. 

 

Questions formulated on Shiro’s tongue, but he was simply too tired to ask them. He watched through hooded eyes as Lance pulled the blinds down, pulled the curtains to close the window. The only light in the room was the soft glow of the lamp on the nightstand.

 

Allura made her way into the room, a tray in her hands. When she set the tray on Shiro’s lap, his eyes widened. 

 

“I don’t think I can eat, Allura.. I don’t want to eat.” He whispered to her, looking at the food that had been amassed on the tray. He had this much in his pantry? There was a bowl of salad, soup, pasta, and a glass of water.

 

“You have to.” Said the waitress.

 

“If you’re good, she’ll give you dessert!” chirped the energetic voice of Lance, and Shiro couldn’t resist smiling at that.

 

His gaze swiveled around to meet Allura’s.“Is that true?” he asked, partly to lighten the mood. He didn’t like how this could affect Lance.

 

Her lips curled as she recognized the attempt. “Possibly.” 

 

Shiro sighed, picking up the napkin off the tray, and patted the spot next to him. “Lance, come here, kid.”

 

Lance made his way over to Shiro’s side.

 

“I’ll strike a deal with you. You have a few bites of dinner, and I’ll split my dessert with you.” Shiro whispered conspiratorially to Lance as an amused Allura watched from her spot by the doorframe. 

 

Lance nodded in agreement.

 

Allura watched, staying long enough to see Shiro get through a few mouthfuls of salad while wrinkling his nose, as well as Shiro feeding Lance a few mouthfuls of pasta. 

 

Her heart warmed, but she slipped out the room to let the boys have some time by themselves. 

 

Shiro continued eating, feeding Lance and occasionally having a mouthful of his own. He could hear the quiet run of the water, and assumed that Allura was washing dishes. He’d have to thank her. 

 

Surprisingly, this routine worked. Shiro found himself relaxing under these two dorks’ care. 

 

“Allura!” He announced loudly. “We finished.” 

 

The waitress peeked back in and smiled at the empty tray. “Good.” Was her only reply as she walked over. 

 

“Dessert?” Lance asked hopefully.

 

Allura took a moment to inspect the tray, the salad was gone—everything was gone, really. “Hmm, since you two finished, yes.” She said with a hint of a laugh in her voice, ruffling Lance’s hair.

 

Shiro huffed, and she curiously turned to look at him.

 

“What about me?” He complained, gesturing at her hand ruffling Lance’s hair.

 

Her smile stretched, and she warily extended her hand. When she was certain that the man wouldn’t bite her hand or something like that, she ruffled his hair, white tuft included.

 

Shiro gave her a toothy grin, which made Lance laugh.As Allura whisked the tray away, she laughed quietly at the fact that the two were having a competition about ruffling hair.

 

Allura came back, a plate of brownies in her hand.She wished she had made them from scratch, but she knew she hadn’t had much time. Luckily, Shiro had the easy bake mix version in his cupboards, and she had utilized that. With a twist, of course, she had added a few spices of her own. “A few. Not all.” She threatened the boys, narrowing her eyes in her famous mom-glare.They nodded in understanding. 

 

Shiro was the one who held the plate on his lap, breaking off tiny bite size pieces to feed to Lance. When Allura turned to go back to the kitchen, a hand shot out and grabbed her wrist. She whirled around to meet Shiro’s glare. 

 

“Join us.” He said simply, and she sighed. She sank down onto the bed, sitting on the other side of Shiro. She watched as the man fed her son, and she internally thanked him for keeping Lance in his mind. 

 

A tap startled her out of her thoughts, and Shiro was looking at her expectantly. His hand was outstretched, to her lips, a piece awaiting her. Oh! He—he was feeding her as well? She quickly wrapped her mouth around the offering, chewing slowly as the sweetness permeated her tastebuds.

 

“Now you can’t get mad at us for finishing the entire plate!” Lance said cheekily.

 

Dear lord, they were right. The two had finished the entire stack of sweet treats. She swallowed, and shook her head at them. “I’ll give you a pass today.” She giggled as she grabbed a napkin. She reached across Shiro to wipe Lance’s mouth, the little kid squirming as she cleaned his face of the chocolate. As she drew back, she noted a little chocolate decorating the corner of Shiro’s lips. 

 

 

Not meeting his eyes, she reached up and gently wiped the streak away. When she did peek out from under her lashes, his gaze was unreadable. He allowed her to put away the napkin on the nightstand, joining the plate, before wrapping an arm around both mother and son, and pulling them under the blankets with him. 

 

His surprise was apparent as he saw that Allura was hesitant. “You can’t—you can’t leave us this time.” She whispered, her eyes flitting over to where her son was curled happily into Shiro.

 

He felt a pang of guilt, and nodded. 

 

“Never again.” He promised, and that was enough for her. Content, she rested her head right below his shoulder, her hand resting flat against his chest. 

 

She might have imagined the flutter of lips against her hair.But as she looked at him doing the same to Lance, maybe she didn’t.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> comments are greatly appreciated! tell me what you thought, what you're looking forward to!
> 
> oh, and if you enjoyed, leave a kudos! ;)


	9. nine

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> i told you that shiro was going to be problematic ;)

Shiro woke up to a pleasant surprise. He hadn’t had any nightmares, just blissful oblivion. He had an inkling it had something to do with the two curled into him. Poor Allura.She looked utterly exhausted, and he had a feeling it had been a while since she slept in a real bed—rather—had even slept at all.

 

He was feeling more energized and rejuvenated than ever, and he liked the feeling. It made him..feel new. 

 

“Thank you.” He whispered to Lance first, pressing a soft kiss to the little boy’s forehead, quietly chuckling when he heard the little snore come out of him.He repeated the thanks to Allura, who made a small noise and pressed closer to him, his lips barely grazing the top of her forehead.

 

He let them stay like that for a few minutes before the restlessness got him, and he had to get up. He was grateful that it was the weekend, he would be able to do something nice for them.

 

God, he almost didn’t recognize himself. Already he had smiled, had physical contact, and had planned for something outside of the boring routine of his schedule. How had these two changed him so much, in such a short time? 

 

Thoughts of his new change flitted in and out of his mind as he slid out of bed and lumbered to the kitchen, rubbing his face with his shirt. Make coffee, then think about what you want to do for them. Maybe breakfast? That seemed so little to what they had done for him, though. 

 

He set the coffee affairs in order before slipping to the bathroom to meticulously brush his teeth. When he returned to the kitchen, the heavenly smell of freshly brewed coffee awaited him. He poured the liquid paradise into a mug, and was startled by arms wrapping around him. 

 

A muffled sound came from where Allura had her face buried in his back, and just the presence of her made Shiro’s lips quirk up. “Good morning to you too.” He said with a chuckle, and he didn’t miss the way she shot him the middle finger from where her hands were tightly clasped together, resting on his stomach. 

 

The smell of coffee tickled her nose, and reluctantly, Allura pulled her face out of his back. “My savior!” She murmured happily as she extended her hands out to a mug filled to the brim.

 

He obliged and handed her it, taking his own and leaning against the counter. “Yeah, I know. I’m the best.” He said. 

 

Allura didn’t know what she was expecting, but dealing with a cocky Shiro in the morning wasn’t at the top of her list. Nevertheless, the statement brought a flush to her cheeks. “What, no good morning kiss?” She teased, wanting to see if she could prod the same reaction he had elicited out of her.

 

Immediately she knew that she had gone too far, because he shut down on her. The guarded look was back, with the blank, robotic face from before. 

 

“I—We aren’t like that—“ He said, and he could have taken her heart and smacked it with a hammer.

 

Allura tried her best to keep the embarrassing flush of rejection off her face, but she wasn’t really sure if she succeeded. 

 

“I—I was just joking-“ She fibbed unconvincingly, and knew it was a good idea to turn her gaze downward into her coffee, which was suddenly more interesting. “Ah—any plans for today?” She asked hurriedly, trying to smooth over the moment.

 

Shiro looked like he was about to say something, to tell her that that’s not what he meant, but all he could manage was, “Nothing for me today. You?” Stupid, stupid, stupid! Tell her, you fool!

 

“I’ve got class in the morning…and something later tonight.” Allura glanced at his clock, blanching as she saw the date and time. For once, she was glad that she had accepted Lotor’s offer. Maybe that would turn out better. “Which reminds me, can you please watch Lance for me today? I would ask Ray, but I’m already running a bit late, and I don’t think I have enough time to drop him off and still be on time to class—and I won’t be home until much later.“ She said, panicking a bit.

 

“Of course, it’ll be a boys’ day out.” Shiro said, tracking the woman with his eyes as she flitted to his living room and picked up her handbag, making sure she had everything she needed.So far, she hadn’t met his eyes once since that statement, and he’s sure he looked like a creep, standing in the doorframe, trying to catch her eye.

 

“Thank you so much! I’ll be back home around…ten or so, if that’s okay! Lance has my number memorized, so write it down and call me if there’s anything! Thank you so much for helping out, I truly hope it didn’t interfere with any of your plans!” She said hurriedly, still rifling through her bag. Where were those damn keys?! Out of all the days to hide. She felt so—crushed, she needed to get to class and concentrate her mind on something other than the humiliation she had just experienced. 

 

Shiro was watching quietly, noting that she had become increasingly worried and hurried as the seconds ticked by. He regretted his words and wished to amend them, but he had waited too long. To say it now would be an insult to her pride, and he had a feeling that it would not bode well for him. 

 

Allura, during his moments of thinking, was growing more and more frustrated with the lack of keys. Ugh. She was dumb for even feeling that way about him, what was she thinking? Oh! She found her keys. She made her way to the door, but as her hand wrapped around the cool surface of the doorknob, a voice startled her out of her rushed actions.

 

“What’s later tonight? I know that you have a class today morning, but what’s going to keep you out until ten?” Came the question from Shiro.

 

She whirled around, her eyes wide. 

 

“Shiro, I’m running late. You can ask Lance, he’ll tell you. Thank you for watching him, I appreciate it.” She said, sharper than she intended, but she really wasn’t in the mood to explain to him. 

 

And with a burning face, Allura yanked open the door and hurried out, leaving Shiro behind, dumbfounded at what he had done.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> what did you think? who's lotor? where's Allura going? more to come!
> 
> comment your thoughts and suggestions!
> 
> and if you enjoyed, leave a kudos! ;)


	10. ten

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ahahahhahahahahhahahahahahhahahahahahahhahahahahhahh  
> jk it's pretty cute this chapter

It was…a grueling wait for Shiro. Allura’s actions, her words kept echoing in his brain. The way her face fell, practically crumpled when he had rejected her advances was permanently ingrained. 

 

He wanted to tell her that he was simply making an observation, that they weren’t in a relationship, not that he was rejecting her. Of course, too little, too late. He had lost his chance.

 

But right now, what was bothering him was her arrangement at night. Where was she going? 

 

But, Lance was more important. He needed to focus on the little boy in front of him, not about some waitress with gorgeous eyes, and a lovely smile, and damnit, Shiro!

 

“Good morning! I was thinking we get breakfast, then grab some things from your house, and then have a nice day out. Just the two of us. Does that sound okay?” Shiro asked, setting a heaping plate of food in front of the little boy, who dug in with much gusto.

 

“Mmmph!” Lance mumbled his appreciation through a mouthful of eggs, toast, and hashbrowns. Shiro chuckled and ruffled Lance’s hair, his eyes brimming with fondness for the young boy. “Easy there, slugger. Chew first, then swallow.”

 

The two ate their breakfast in relative silence, and soon Lance had cleaned his plate and was bouncing in his seat. “Where to next?”

 

They found themselves, within thirty minutes, back at Allura and Lance’s apartment. “Grab a bag, kiddo. A few clothes, whatever you need.” Shiro had found the key hidden under the mat (he really had to talk to Allura about being safer), and was currently leaning on a doorframe, watching as Lance scurried around, throwing clothes into his duffle bag. Shiro didn’t even bother asking the kid to fold his clothes, because if the man hated anything, it was folding.

 

“Looks like momma took her special dress!” Lance said as he peeked into the closet, looking at the far end where Allura’s special occasion dresses were hung up.

 

“Her special dress? What’s that?” Shiro asked curiously as he watched Lance stuff a blanket into his bag, and then a stuffed blue lion. 

 

“It’s a pretty dress. It’s super blue, because it’s my favorite color, and she wears it when she wants to look nice.” Came the innocent reply.

 

Shiro tried to keep his voice light as he asked, “Then why did she take it out today?”

 

The kid was smart, though.“Oh, she’s got something tonight.” Came the reply, and Shiro wanted to groan and hit his head on the doorframe. Neither mother nor son was willing to tell him where Allura was going. Of course, he had no right to know, no right to pry, but he couldn’t help but feel bothered.

 

Shiro dumped Lance’s bag in the back of his truck, helping the little one up onto the seat. When both boys were in the truck, they looked at one another. “Where to next?” Lance asked, bouncing around excitedly once more. Internally, Shiro regretted giving the kid the second cup of orange juice.

 

“I was thinking we go see that cool Avengers movie? It’s one of my favorites. It’s not the recent one, it’s the first ever Avengers.” Shiro suggested, and grinned when his suggestion met a positive response from the young child. Yes, he had a thing for Marvel movies. He enjoyed delving in the characters, the fight sequences, and it made him feel like he was a young kid again, watching the comic versions on TV with Keith.

 

With a confirmation that it was okay from Lance, the two set off to the movie theater. Shiro personally liked the old-time style of the interior, because frankly, the seats were comfier, and there was more space. 

 

Yes, he had spoiled the kid. Allura was going to kill him, but he figured that Lance hadn’t been out to see a movie in a very long time. So he got the goods, popcorn, candy, a soda. (He got small sizes, so maybe the waitress would go easy on the killing him bit).

 

“I wonder if momma will be doing this tonight too.” Lance said, piquing Shiro’s interest, but before he could question that statement, the lights dimmed and the movie began playing.

 

“Did you like it?” Shiro asked as he led a happy Lance out to his truck an hour or so later, the two wearing matching grins from the afterglow of the movie.

 

“Yeah! I loved it! The characters were so cool!” Came the reply as Shiro swooped down and hoisted Lance into the truck. Once the kid was safely belted in, still chattering away, Shiro made his way around again, and slid into the driver’s seat. As the older man started the truck, he glanced over to Lance.

 

“Who is your favorite character, kid?” He asked, internally grateful that Lance had liked his movie—or had the good graces to be a good sport about it.

 

“Uhmm..Captain America! Cause he wears blue! Mommy likes Iron Man, she thinks he’s handsome.” Lance said, and the kid shot a glance to the man sitting next to him, a glance that was gone unnoticed.

 

Shiro felt an irrational bubble of envy against Tony Stark for capturing Allura’s affections, but he tampered it down. “Iron Man, hm? I’ve always been a fan of Thor.”

 

The two chatted happily all the way to the restaurant, where they sat down for a late lunch. By late lunch, Shiro meant late lunch. It was more of a snacktime, really, but Lance was so hungry that it was good that he was eating. 

 

It was a simple restaurant, nothing too fancy, and the two conspiratorially winked at each other as they ate burgers and fries, and split a chocolate shake (shh, don’t tell Allura). 

 

Halfway through his onion rings, Shiro finally got the courage to ask Lance. “Lance? Where is your mother going tonight?”

 

The older man swears that the look that the kid gave him was one of exasperation. “Took you long enough, Shiro.” Said the little one, with a hint of sass lacing his words. “She’s going on a date. With Mister Lotor. He asked her a few days ago, but then after you left, she finally said yes. Oops. I wasn’t supposed to say that part.” Lance had the good graces to look sheepish.

 

Shiro fought a smile behind the coverage of a napkin raised to his lips as the wheels in his mind turned. 

 

“Hey Lance?”

 

“Hm?”

 

“How do you feel about crashing a date?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> comments are appreciated! leave a kudos!


	11. eleven

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> the date ;)

Shiro felt a bit like a spy, really. Covert, hiding in the bushes, with a ridiculous pair of binoculars hanging from his neck. Of course, Lance was right by him, actually, on his lap, with a smaller pair of binoculars raise to the kid’s eyes. (Don’t ask him how he got the other pair. It involved a very embarrassing story to the toy store that Lance and Shiro swore would remain between them.)

 

Shiro and Lance were outside the patio area of a French restaurant, their eyes narrowed. Already they had a visual on Lotor. 

 

Shiro had to snort when he saw the other man, despite having angular features and long white hair, there really was no attractive appeal. But then again, that could be the jealousy that was curling at the bottom of his stomach influencing his words. 

 

“I’ve got eyes on the subject. Have you got eyes on subject two?” Lance asked in his best imitation of spy voices. Of course, Shiro had run through the lingo for the kid, and despite the fact that this was an unofficial stakeout mission, he found it pretty fun to be like this.Almost like he was a kid again. 

 

Subject Two was Allura, and she was yet to be seen. “Negative, Blue Lion.” Shiro responded swiftly. 

 

A few minutes passed, and suddenly she was there. Shiro’s breath caught, and he wasn’t even looking through the binoculars anymore.He didn’t need to.

 

The dress was…well, blue. But it was the deepest blue, the cerulean color mirroring the clearest sky. The type of sky that you saw in movies, with the protagonist leaning back on a sun-lit patch of green grass. But he digressed. The fabric flowed down her body like a river, the silk making her look quite like an angel. The dress managed to capture her tantalizing curves, hugging the lush features of her waist, then flowing down smooth legs. Of course, as she moved to greet Lotor, there was a flash of skin, and he quite literally gulped as he realized that her dress was backless. She was gorgeous before, but that dress showed him literally what he was missing. 

 

She was a goddess, ruling over his dreams—god, he needed to focus on the mission—which was her. Damn it. 

 

He watched, huffing slightly as Lotor didn’t even bother to pull out her seat for her. But if Allura was perturbed at that, she didn’t show it, the smile on her face never slipped.

 

(Of course, Shiro took immense pleasure in the fact that her smiles weren’t as bright with Lotor as they were with him, and then that came back promptly to bite him in the ass as he realized, well, she wasn’t exactly happy with him right now either.)

 

“How’s it looking, Blue Lion?” Shiro asked the kid on his lap, even though they were watching the same thing.

 

“Subject Two has her ‘I’m bored, but I’ll pretend that I’m interested face on.” Reported Lance.

 

“Subject One is prattling on and on about something, he hasn’t let her get a single word in.” Sighed Shiro. As much as he didn’t like the fact that she was going on a date with someone else, he understood that this was a night free for her to enjoy, and he would rather it be enjoyed.

 

Shiro occupied himself with watching the glint of earrings flashing as Allura nodded her head—was she wearing—eyeliner?! It was surprising, but it outlined those eyes, and made her look more….seductive…and well, alluring.

 

Damn it. He was in deep.

 

The date progressed, and Lance and Shiro contented themselves with sharing the excess fries from their earlier escapade.Allura seemed impressed with Lotor’s knowledge of wine, but Shiro and Lance had to refrain from laughing as they saw the woman hide a wince at the clashing of flavors.

 

So far, the man hadn’t stopped talking about himself, and the two boys had caught snippets of conversation that had floated down the patio and to their ears.

 

Apparently Lotor was discussing his tragic backstory, which sounded made-up if anything. Shiro had lots of questions—like—what kind of name is Zarkon?And his father was supposedly evil? Surely, it was a ploy to get Allura falling in love with him (the ladies love a tragic backstory), but it was too weak and pathetic to get the woman to go for it.

 

Shiro realized that the restaurant, the food, the wine, it must have been a part of Lotor’s ploy as well. He thought he could impress Allura with finery—but Allura wasn’t that way. From what Shiro knew, she was a simpleminded woman.Trying to show off wealth and power definitely wasn’t the way to her heart.

 

Actually, he didn’t know the way to her heart. If he knew it, he would have captured it already.

 

(Of course, he didn’t quite know that he had captured it already.)

 

“She’s getting up! Subject Number Two is getting up…and oh! She’s going to the bathroom.” Lance said excitedly, and Shiro grinned at the sight of the little boy eagerly tracking his mother with the binoculars.

 

“She’s probably bored to death with that story. I would be. I don’t blame her for trying to get a reprieve. Gosh, look at him, Lance. He’s studying his reflection in his spoon. What does she see in this guy?” Shiro asked. 

 

“Absolutely nothing. He’s asked her out five times. The sixth time she said yes.” Lance mumbled. “Mister Lotor once met me and asked if I liked his hair.” Though it was obviously apparent that Allura’s son was frustrated with her choice in men, her teachings stuck, and the little one still called the other man with a title of respect.

 

“And just what do you two think you are doing?” Came a strangely feminine voice from behind Shiro and Lance. 

 

The two boys turned, and shrieked.

 

Standing there was one incredibly beautiful, but angry, Allura.

 

“Um—we were just—uh—“ Shiro fumbled, trying to come up with something to cover them, but ultimately came up short.

 

“Save it. You two are going to go sit in the car, and wait for me. When I get back, we’re going to have a long, long talk. You two are in a lot of trouble.” Allura glared.

 

Lance immediately got up from Shiro’s lap, and ran to his mother, wrapping his arms around her legs. “You look wonderful, momma!”

 

Shiro was right behind him, hot on his heels. “Right—you look gorgeous, Allura.”

 

Her glare softened for a fraction of a moment. “Nice try. Go, sit. Keep yourselves out of trouble for thirty minutes.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> comment what you thought!!
> 
> leave a kudos if you enjoyed!!


	12. twelve

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> WOOT WOOT I TOLD YOU WE MADE IT ASDLFJSKLDFJSDLKFJDSLSKAJLKDJFSKDJF  
> or aka:  
> allura confronts her boys

Shiro and Lance sat guiltily in the truck, Lance sitting in the middle seat as to leave the passenger seat open for Allura. Shiro’s fingers drummed anxiously on the leather of the steering wheel.

 

“How is your mother when she’s mad? Is she really mad? Does she yell?” Shiro asked. He had never seen Allura truly mad, and to be honest, he really didn’t want to. Hey, he was being honest here.

 

“No! She doesn’t yell, or hit. She thinks that I’m big enough to understand that when she’s mad at me that I did something wrong. She just gives me a talk, but when she’s really mad, she won’t talk for a bit. Sort of the cold shoulder. She hasn’t been that mad at me, but she does that to grandpa.” Lance chirped helpfully.

 

Shiro groaned and slumped forward, his forehead hitting the steering wheel. He felt anxious, he wanted her to get upset at him already so that it would be over.

 

True to her word, Lotor and Allura made their way out thirty minutes later. Lotor looked like he was leaning in for a kiss, and Shiro narrowed his eyes so much that he was looking at them through slits. Luckily for him, Allura turned her head at the last second that Lotor caught her cheek, not her lips. They said their goodbyes, and Allura turned to see where Shiro was parked. Her smile slipped off her face, and her hands reached down to pick up the skirts of her dress as she made her way to them.Shiro slid out of the truck, eager to get in her good graces. As he met her halfway, he almost retreated at her steely gaze meeting with his, but he stood his ground.

 

He found it cute how she was wearing heels, yet he was still taller than her. He didn’t say anything, just wordlessly took her hand and led her over to the passenger side of the car, opening the door over for her and helping her in. 

 

“That’s not winning you any brownie points.” She threatened as he made his way over to the driver’s side. The three of them looked at one another, Lance smirking for some odd reason, Allura glaring, and Shiro trying to fight back a small smile.

 

“Please don’t be mad at us!” Lance burst out.

 

“We were just wanting to check up on you!” Shiro followed pursuit—how was this kid better at pacifying people than he was? He figured that it was the little boy charms.

 

“And we were bored!”

 

“And we were worried!”

 

“And—“ A raised hand from Allura cut them off, and although her expression was serious, amusement sparkled in her eyes.

 

“So you decided to crash a date, spy on me from the bushes, and make rude comments about my date? And you didn’t save me any fries? Not only did I have to sit through the most boring story ever, neither of you thought about the fact that I had ordered a salad, and that these heels were killing me, or that I would have wanted fries?!” She exclaimed, and although she sounded serious at the beginning, he largely suspected that her anger had melted away partly through.He watched, a chuckle rumbling in his chest as she bent down and slipped her heels off. 

 

“Lance, lean back.” She ordered, and the little one obediently laid back. 

 

She lobbed the heels at him, one following the other. The first one was punctuated with a “that’s for spying on me and invading my privacy-“, and the second one was punctuated with a “and that’s for not thinking about me.”

 

Shiro of course, caught the first heel easily, but the second one was so unprecedented that he got hit with it and grumbled, neatly tucking away the pieces of footwear in the back.

 

“Hey! We thought about you! The only reason we did this was because we love you!” Came the quick response from Lance.

 

Allura sighed, rolling her eyes. “Right. I’m supposed to believe that.” Her eyes came to settle on both Shiro and Lance, her expression unbelieving.

 

“I love you!” came the protest from Lance, and as Allura’s gaze slid over her son to settle on Shiro, he threw his hands up in the air. 

 

“Don’t look at me. I love you too-“ Shiro shrugged matter-of-factly, and didn’t even turn red in surprise at his words.Sure, it may sound like he’s trying to make her less mad at him, but as he uttered those words, somewhere, he knew that it sounded right.

 

He grinned as Allura’s annoyed expression melted away, and she ducked her head bashfully. Pink dusted across her cheeks, and he found himself thinking what a cute color that was on her. 

 

“Let’s go home.” He suggested, and his grin got wider as both Lance and Allura nodded in agreement. 

 

Shiro focused on driving, but he noticed that Lance nestled into Allura’s side. Her arm was around her son, within grabable distance of Shiro.

 

He didn’t know what compelled him to do it, but his hand reached out and covered hers. It was like a little apology for his words in the morning, a silent way of telling him that he didn’t mean it that way. He glanced at her from the corner of his eye, and was shocked when he felt her turn her hand so that her palm was pressed against his. He was the one who laced their fingers, grinning so widely that he felt like his heart was going to explode. She knew, she understood. She forgave him.

 

Of course, she rebuked him for turning and looking at her. “Eyes on the road, mister.”

 

He humored her and turned his attention back to the road in front of him, but the loving sweep of her thumb against the back of his hand softened the blow of her sharp words.

 

He pulled up to his apartment, and met Allura’s confused gaze. 

 

“You two are staying with me. I claim Sunday as our lazy day.” He informed her, and was pleased at the fact that she gave an accepting nod. Allura reached across and unbuckled Lance, scooping her son into her arms. She gave Shiro an expectant look, waiting. 

 

“What?” He asked, with a little tilt of his head that Allura found endearing.

 

“I’m waiting for you to get my heels! I can’t walk out barefoot.” She rolled her eyes like it was the most obvious thing in the universe. 

 

He reached back and grabbed the heels, before an idea flitted into his mind. He smirked, sliding out of his seat and making his way around. He opened the door, and bent. 

 

“There is a child in my arms.” Allura hissed at him, not quite liking the way he looked up at her with that smirk.

 

“Get your mind out of the gutter.” Was his only response as he took her foot and gently slipped on the corresponding heel, doing the same for the other foot. He stopped her as she prepared to get out of the car. His hands slid under her, one hand under the backs of her knees, and the other hand against her back. She shrieked and clutched Lance closer, who was giggling in delight.

 

“Shiro’s carrying all of us, momma!”exclaimed the little one.

 

Allura’s eyes flitted up to the man, who looked down at her and winked. “Yeah…he is…” She mumbled. 

 

Lance happily cheered Shiro as he climbed up the steps with ease. Allura rested her cheek against Shiro’s shoulder, and watched him with affection glimmering in her icy blue orbs. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> comments are appreciated!!!!!!!!
> 
> leave a kudos if you enjoyed!


	13. thirteen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> i've always said that thirteen was my lucky number  
> or the one where everthing's perfect

Shiro had to wriggle a little to get the keys to slide in smoothly into the keyhole without dropping his precious cargo, but nevertheless, he managed to get the door unlocked. He pushed the door open with his foot, sighing quietly as the comfort of his home surrounded him once more. He hummed, content. He used to hate coming home, but here he was. 

 

“What do you say we watch a movie?” Shiro asked curiously, tilting his head at the two of them as he made his way to the living room and set them down gently on the couch. He grinned at Lance, who nodded excitedly. He looked over at Allura, who was starting to get up. “That sounds good!” The woman said, beginning to head to the kitchen. “I’ll make the popcorn.” 

 

A hand wrapped around her wrist and tugged her backwards, and she found herself chest-to-chest with Shiro, shaking his head.

 

“No. Go, change. Relax. Unwind. Lance and I will take care of snacks and comfort.” He murmured, and judging by the steely look in his eye, Allura knew that she wasn’t going to make him budge an inch. She sighed and picked up her skirts, heading into the bedroom.

 

It had only been a few moments until Allura’s voice called out for Shiro. The man gave a look at Lance, the little boy nodding and heading to the kitchen to prep, as the older man made his way into the bedroom. 

 

She was standing there, a little blush on her features, but the blue dress still on her. “I—um…don’t have anything to wear.”

 

Shiro mentally facepalmed, he had forgotten to snag her a change of clothes as he had been distracted by her date with Lotor. 

 

“Ah, I’m sorry, Allura. We’ll pick up something for you tomorrow, but for now, you can wear something of mine.” He gestured to his closet and began his exit.

 

“Wait.” The command wrapped around him like a steel bind, and he turned around to find her in the same position, not moving, and still wearing that adorable blush.

 

She paused, barely meeting his eyes before turning around, lifting her hair. “Can you..unzip me?” 

 

Ah, he understood why now. He nodded wordlessly, finding that his mouth had gone dry. He swallowed as he approached her, his hands making its way to the zipper. He took his own sweet time as he eased the zipper down the fabric, and she didn’t seem to mind, seeing how she didn’t comment on it. His hands grazed the open slivers of her skin, and she shivered. Shiro might have been pleased at the effect he had on her. Her skin lay tantalizingly within his grasp. He could imagine him gripping at her, softly squeezing in the throes of passion, but also his fingers swirling sleepy circles across the smooth surface. A noise from the kitchen reminded him about Lance’s presence, and he was damn glad that his hands were firmly planted on her clothed hips to save them both from scarring a little kid. 

 

He bent down and pressed a small kiss to the back of her neck, making her breath hitch. “Come join us when you’re ready.” He murmured reassuringly, before turning and exiting the room.

 

Ten minutes later, Lance and Shiro had claimed the couch, the bowl of perfect popcorn (or so, Lance claimed) sitting in front of them, both boys swathed in blankets.

 

“Hey, kiddos. Mind if I wriggle in?” Came a soft voice. 

Shiro looked up and again, his mouth went dry. Damn it. He had to stop that. But he couldn’t help it. Allura was wearing nothing but his shirt, a simple black shirt that stroked Shiro’s ego as he studied how it fell down her body, covering her like a dress.

 

Oh, he liked her in his clothes. And judging by the smirk slowly growing on her face as she settled down between him and Lance, she knew.

 

Allura was the official popcorn keeper, and she wished she could tell which movie they watched, but she was more preoccupied with how Shiro twirled her long hair around his fingers. 

 

“We’re not like that.” She whispered, and fought to keep the irritation out of her voice, but failed. She glanced over to Lance, and luckily her son was completely immersed in the movie.

 

Shiro huffed, sliding an arm around her waist and pulling her closer to him. “I was stupid. I was making an observation.”

 

“Making an observation, right.” She hissed back, trying to conceal the way her body sparked up. His head dipped for a moment, and she shivered as she felt his lips graze the spot right under her ear.

 

“C’mon. You’re not mad, are you?” He asked, and it was pretty nice to see him like this, playing around and joking. Something that she hadn’t been sure he was able to be. 

 

It was good that she was wrong about that. Back to the situation at hand. 

 

“I have every right to be. You left us, no word, or anything. You flirt with me, yet you pushed me away. And you crashed my date.” She huffed quietly at him, and felt him wince and recoil for a moment. 

 

“Okay, so I made a mistake. A few, actually.” He whispered, pulling away slightly to gently drape the blanket over her and Lance correctly before leaning back over to her. “But hey—“ He was cut off by soft snores from the little one beside them.

 

Allura yawned fakely, and he wanted to roll his eyes. “I guess we should both go to sleep.” She said, and he wanted to growl with frustration. 

 

“I’ll meet you in bed.” He promised, narrowing his eyes at her to let her know that he knew that she had intentionally cut off the conversation.

 

He went through his routine, and when he finally made it to bed, he smiled at the sight of Allura sleeping, curled protectively around Lance. He turned off the light, slid into bed, and wrapped his arms around the two of them, collecting the two in his embrace. He leaned over to brush a kiss to Lance’s hair, then a kiss to Allura’s temple. 

 

As he closed his eyes, he drifted into a dreamless sleep.

 

For some reason, he roused again. He glanced at the clock, it was three in the morning. He immediately glanced down and noticed that other than Lance and him, the bed was empty. The light coming from the kitchen gave him the indication of where she was.

 

He tampered down the panic, tucking in Lance once more as he slid out of bed and made his way to the kitchen.

 

“Up so early?” He asked, his voice a husky mess as he rubbed his eyes, the sudden presence of light uninvited. He stumbled over to Allura and buried his face in her shoulder, his arms sliding around her as he closed his eyes, trying to keep his hold on whatever amount of sleep was still left. 

 

She tensed in his arms, then relaxed. “Couldn’t sleep.” She mumbled.He was just about to ask her why, when she spun around, creating a bit of distance between them. Her hands were pressed to his chest, but his arms still encircled her.

 

He could tell that what she was about to say was bothering her, it was clear in her refusal to meet his eyes.

 

“Shiro—we’re—we’re not a rebound. I—understand that you lost someone close to you—but you can’t see Lance as a—as a replacement—and you can’t see me as—stress relief—“ She stumbled over her words, and she got tenser with every word.

 

He stayed quiet, letting her speak. “We’re—we get attached. If—if you’re not in this long-term—then—this can’t work—“ She mumbled. 

 

It was time to stop her. “ _Allura_.” He murmured insistingly. “I’m staying in this long term.” He whispered, his real hand reaching up to gently tilt her chin up to him, their eyes meeting. It was clear in her eyes that she didn’t quite believe him.

 

“You don’t believe me? Not even after I said that I loved you?” He asked as he let go of her chin, taking one of her hands. His prosthetic arm remained securely looped around her. 

 

She snorted in disbelief, shaking her head. “That was for fun, for Lance.”

 

He rolled his eyes, raising her hand to his lips. He pressed a soft kiss to her fingertips, shaking his head. “No. That was real. I do love you.” He reminded. 

 

He tilted her palm up, his lips meeting dead center as he left a lingering kiss there. “I’m in this. Long-term..”

 

He trailed soft kisses up her arm, surprised that she hadn’t interjected yet, but still, he continued. As his lips met her shoulder, he murmured, “I’m a simple guy. I may have nightmares, I don’t have an arm. I have things that make me stiff. Things that trigger me. I’m a bit scarred. But I like things that make me happy.” He murmured. 

 

His lips made their way to the underside of her jaw, her cheek. “And you, Allura, you make me happy. Lance, he makes me happy.” 

 

He finally pulled away, his eyes completely sincere. “I’m willing to stay with you and Lance, for as long as you’ll have me. Will you to allow me to?” He asked.

 

This time, it was her who answered. “Forever.” She breathed, and suddenly, she was leaning up, connecting their lips. 

 

The kiss sung of soft apologies, of connection, of everything they had ever waited for. Through the tangle of their lips under the soft glow of the kitchen light, he felt the desire, the love. It struck of chord of complete and utter perfection. It felt right, with her. He knew that he was right where he was, by her side.

 

When they finally broke away for air, her head landed on his chest. Her arms circled him, and they swayed together on the cold tile floor for a while.

 

She finally broke the silence. “I love you, Shiro.” She whispered, but to him, it was as if she had screamed it.

 

His heart felt full—and he wondered how he ever lived without these two in his life.

 

“Takashi.” He mumbled.

 

Her head lifted off his chest, and she looked up at him with a confused expression. 

 

“It’s about time you called me by my first name.” He murmured quietly. “You aren’t a stranger. You aren’t just a friend anymore.”

 

“Takashi.” She tried out, and liked how it flowed off her lips. “I love you, Takashi.” She amended, giving him a bashful smile that made his heart flutter in all sorts of ways.

 

“You are my everything. Well, you and Lance.” He said, giving her a wink, and chuckled as she yanked him down for an another kiss. 

 

The couple stayed like that, swaying gently as their arms stayed securely wrapped around one another. Occasionally, their lips would graze, sometimes words would be whispered. 

 

When their legs finally got tired, they retired to the bedroom, where they curled up, asleep in the hazy glow of a new love, their little one cocooned perfectly between them. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ayee! thank you for reading! we're going to get a surprise visitor next chapter! leave a comment, lemme know what you thought! 
> 
> leave a kudos if you enjoyed ;)


	14. fourteen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> happy times, happy times   
> +  
> an unexpected visitor

_** ~Two Weeks Later~ ** _

 

“I think I like this one. What about you two?” Shiro asked. The little family was curled up in the bedroom, Shiro sitting up and having his laptop on his lap. On one side of him, Lance was happily clutching a stuffed blue lion and gazing at the screen, his head tucked protectively under Shiro’s chin. On the other side of the man, Allura was curled into Shiro’s side, their feet brushing here and there. He could feel the lotion induced softness of her feet, but also the scratch and rasp of her heels, indicating her hours of standing and work. The tendrils of her hair spilled out over his arm stump, his prosthetic sitting on the nightstand next to him. He had gotten comfortable enough with them to take it off when they were around, and they weren’t bothered in the slightest. 

 

It was a lazy Sunday morning, the very same mornings that Shiro had claimed for the three of them. They had gotten up late, had breakfast, then came back to bed. Currently, they scrolled through possible house listings through drooping eyes. The sun of the afternoon slanted through the curtains, coating Shiro’s apartment in a warm glow. 

 

It was almost second nature to have them around. He spent most of his time with them. Allura’s dresses had made their way into his closet, and Lance had claimed the unoccupied guest room, personalizing it with his toys and covers. They were in a world of their own, and very happy. 

 

They had their moments, of course. Allura often found Shiro gasping, clutching onto the counter late at night as he tried to break free of the hold nightmares had on him. Shiro still felt immense guilt when he saw where he had gripped her too hard during one of his terrors, begging her never to leave him. But through all of that, she never judged, never left him. Her soft voice and caresses were enough to bring him back to her. When she gazed at him, there was pure affection and love in her eyes, never pity and condemnation. 

 

And Lance. God, that kid. Lance looked up to Shiro, and it was evident in the way Lance asked for stories from Shiro, how he always trusted the older man. It was clear that the little boy was as much as an integral part into adopting him into their duo as Allura was, and Shiro couldn’t be more grateful for having him in his life. The two were rays of sunshine, brightening up his previously overcast life. He found himself smiling, laughing, enjoying much more when he was with them. 

 

But, he knew that they couldn’t live in his apartment forever. As much as he loved them in his small space, Lance was a growing boy and needed space to play and romp around. He had suggested a house of their own, and was surprised when they had agreed. They were ready to take the step with him, ecstatic even. 

 

“Not enough rooms.” Came from Allura, and with a sigh, Shiro realized that she was right. He pressed a little kiss to her hair to silently thank her for pointing it out. He scrolled down the possible listings when a knock at the door startled the three. Shiro motioned to get up, when a hand pressed him down. 

 

“Keep looking. I’ll see who it is.” Allura murmured quietly, smiling down at him as she slid out of bed and made her way out of the bedroom and towards the door. 

 

The two boys listened intently as the door opened, but nothing was heard. Nothing. 

 

“Wanna go check it out?” Shiro asked Lance, and grinned when the kid nodded eagerly. Shiro got up, lifting the kiddo to balance him on his hip. He made his way out to the front door, and stopped in his tracks. Allura had her back to him, her arms crossed. He could see that her expression was tight. Over her head, he could see a man, standing there with his arms folded behind his back, looking exactly like the male version of Allura. 

 

Wait…this must be her father. What was his name? Alfor? Oh yes, the business man who had abandoned his daughter for his company. 

 

Shiro didn’t say anything, just silently stood behind Allura, a shadow of reassurance. Lance peeked out nervously from where his head was buried in Shiro’s neck, and apparently the kid realized the familial relation as well.

 

“Well….hello, Allura. You look well.” Alfor said, and his voice carried the authority and power a man of his standing would be expected to have, but it also carried some nervousness.

 

Shiro wanted to cringe at that statement, wanted to shake his head in disappointment at what a weak starting conversation that was. But what exactly were you supposed to say to the daughter you hadn’t seen in such a long time?

 

“Thank you, father. You look well too.” Allura’s voice, and both Shiro and Lance were startled at the coldness in her voice.

 

Alfor’s eyes finally looked past his angry daughter, catching sight of Shiro and Lance. “And this is..?” He prompted.

 

Allura looked back, softening under Shiro’s reassuring gaze. “This is Takashi Shirogane. My—um—“

 

“Boyfriend. I would shake your hand, but my hands are occupied.” Shiro cut in smoothly, giving Allura a discreet wink as his girlfriend breathed a sigh of relief and thanks.

 

“Right, and this is?” Alfor’s attention turned to Lance.

 

“Your grandson.” Allura answered, her eyes steely. The three of them watched as Alfor’s eyes widened, and he looked shocked. Alfor motioned to Allura, almost asking if he could interact with Lance, and Shiro was surprised when Allura nodded.

 

“Go say hi to your grandfather, Lance.” Allura said quietly, and Shiro set Lance down. Alfor sank to one knee to be on the same level as Lance, and moved his fingers in a wave.

 

“Hey, Lance. I’m Alfor, your grandfather. I’m sorry it took me so long to get to you, but I’m here now. And I would like to stay and spend time, if that’s okay.” Alfor said, the last question punctuated with a little nervous glance upwards to Allura, asking for permission.

 

Alfor’s face broke out into a smile as Allura nodded, and the smile only grew wider when Lance practically tackled the older man with a huge hug. “Grandpa!” Lance said in glee, his small arms winding around Alfor’s neck.

 

Shiro sidled up to Allura, wrapping an arm around her waist, and looking down at her with a cheeky smile. “Did you forget what the word boyfriend was?” He asked with a teasing hint in his voice.

 

Allura slapped his chest and rolled her eyes. “Shut up. You’re more than that and you know it.” She huffed, and Shiro relented. His thumb rolled little circles onto her hip as the couple watched Alfor, now standing with Lance on his hip, talking to the little child energetically. Both grandfather and grandson were chattering away about something.

Shiro and Allura simply watched, their eyes fond and affectionate, their arms wrapped around one another. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> reviews are welcome! leave a kudos if you enjoyed!
> 
> ALSO this fic is almost done alksjdls i don't know what to feel


	15. epilogue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> the two years later

_**Epilogue** _

~

** Two Years Later **

 

“Dad!” an excited Lance climbed into the car, flinging his backpack into the backseat and throwing his arms around a chuckling Shiro. No matter how many times Lance said that name, he would never get used to the feeling of happiness he brought with it. Shiro truly enjoyed being a father, and he didn’t see how other men didn’t.“Hey, kiddo. How was school?” Shiro asked, giving his son a tight hug and a fond kiss to his hair. 

 

“Good! I made some new friends! Now I have Pidge, Hunk, Matt—“ Lance went on and on, listing the names of his friends, Shiro listening and nodding along. It was clear that the little one had quite the list of friends, which wasn’t hard to believe. Lance was a pretty good kid, nice on the playground and with others.

 

“You’ve got a surprise this weekend!” Shiro grinned conspiratorially at the little one sitting next to him, his eyes alight with mischief.

 

“What is it?!” Lance bounced in his seat excitedly, his eyes wide and his expression eager.

 

“Grandpa’s coming to visit! He’s going to stay with us for a week!” 

 

Alfor had become a constant part in their lives. The businessman had felt regret that he had missed so much in his daughter’s life, and truly felt remorse over how she had struggled. Even though he had offered financial support and other things many times, Allura had declined, stating that she only wanted his presence in their lives. Lance had a strong attachment to the older man, and the two were extremely close. 

 

And, Alfor was always a willing babysitter when Shiro and Allura needed their day together. 

 

Both father and son talked happily on the drive home, only pausing when Shiro pulled up to their house. 

 

Their house. Even though it had been a year and a half since the purchase, it was hard to believe that it was theirs. It was a gorgeous house, big, spacious. It was a white, colonial style house, a cliche white picket fence and gate. The red stoned path led up to the stormy gray door, only this time, it was open, an amused Allura leaning along the doorframe. 

 

Along the path, there was a garden, tended to by the little family. This time of year, flowers were in full bloom, adding bright bursts of color to the landscape. 

 

“Mom!” Lance ran ahead of Shiro to his mother, wrapping his arms around her dress-covered legs. Allura’s body was draped in a maxi length dress, the hue soft pink, much like the carnations blooming in the garden. Of course, she was more exquisite than any other flower. 

 

“Hey, kiddo. There’s a snack on the counter, go eat, okay?” Allura returned the hug with a kiss to Lance’s forehead, and directed her son to the kitchen. She turned back to the doorway, watching Shiro walk up the path with a grin. 

 

“Hello, Dr.Shirogane.” Shiro greeted. Oh, he was so proud of her. So proud. Not only had she managed to get her degree, but she had doubled up on courses and was working towards her doctorate. And—of course—she had agreed to get married to him. The day she became Allura Shirogane was one of the happiest days of his life, and the ring that commemorated the occasion and had a permanent spot on her finger was one of his favorite things to look at.

 

“I’m not a doctor yet, Takashi.” Allura rolled her eyes, but obliged her husband as he leaned down for a kiss. They had to keep it short to make sure they didn’t mentally scar their son, but even now, after all this time, the spark of electricity that accompanied every kiss never faded.

 

The kiss was too short for Shiro’s liking, and he ducked back down to reclaim his wife’s lips for a second, a third time. 

 

By the fourth kiss, Allura pulled away and swatted at his shoulder. “Stop, you know what that does to me, and might I remind you that we have a ten year old sitting in the kitchen.” She protested. Shiro huffed indignantly, but the sight of her lips glistening ruby and fully ravished was perfectly enough for him.

 

“Tonight.” He grumbled at her, and grinned at the flush and shy nod he got from his wife. 

 

Shiro knelt down, his hands gently resting on either side of his wife’s swollen belly. His unborn son drove Allura crazy, kicking and squirming all the time, but had come as a pleasant surprise to the young couple eight months ago. 

 

(Alfor’s reaction had been the best, the grandfather had been torn between murdering Shiro and celebrating in happiness, so he had settled for throwing a chair (suspiciously in Shiro’s direction) and screaming a ‘WOOHOO’ afterwards. The video was on Youtube, and to this day gets views.)

 

A little jingle of metal announced that the young couple had a uninvited intruder, Cosmo, the dog sidled up to Shiro and licked his cheek in greeting. Shiro’s attention immediately turned to the dog, and Allura huffed jokingly that the dog got more attention that she did.

 

Allura, of course, pretended to hate Cosmo, but both Lance and Shiro knew that she liked to cuddle and feed Cosmo treats when she thought that they weren’t looking. And of course, Cosmo was crazy about her as well, even more when he had realized that Allura was pregnant. The dog refused to leave Allura’s side unless Shiro was there.

 

“I’m not giving him more attention! Am I, Cosmo?” Shiro cooed in a soft voice, the dog wagging its tail. 

 

Eventually, Shiro’s attention returned to the swollen bump, and he grinned. “Hey, baby. I’m your daddy.” He went through the ritual of greeting his son, feeling the soft flutters of kicks against Allura’s stomach.

 

As Shiro stood up and gently placed his hand on Allura’s back to guide her, Cosmo padding into the kitchen, Shiro was surprised by Allura clearing her throat to get his attention.

 

“Tak, I was thinking…you know how we were looking into names for the baby? Well…I was thinking…what about Keith?” She asked, turning her face upwards to see her husband’s reaction.

 

It was worth it. Shiro’s face broke out into the sunniest of smiles, and he laughed, nodding. “Yes!” He said, picking her up and slowly twirling her around. 

 

And as the couple closed the door to tell their son the name of his new little brother, the door closed on this chapter of their lives.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> soooooo...this is it! 
> 
> I'm actually really sad :(
> 
> THANK YOU so much for taking the time to read my story! I hope you enjoyed! I'll be posting some more fics soon! Tell me what you thought, and what you want to see next! Thank you so much for joining me on this crazy ride!
> 
> Until next time,   
> \- Mel

**Author's Note:**

> Catch me on tumblr @chai-and-coffee!


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